Well Water Nerd

Lead in West Virginia well water

In West Virginia, 1% of 805 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for lead (15 ug/L).

Lead in well water almost always comes from household plumbing and older fixtures, not the aquifer, and corrosive (low pH) well water makes it worse. There is no safe level for children; it harms brain development.

Check your lead number

Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.

Test your West Virginia well for lead

Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.

Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report

Affiliate links: the merchant pays us a commission and the price is the same for you. It does not change what the data above says.

Systems that remove lead

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.

For lead

Under-sink reverse osmosis system

under-sink or countertop, about $300

Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.

For lead

Acid neutralizing filter

whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,200

Raises pH so plumbing stops leaching lead and copper.

For lead

Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis

under-sink or countertop, about $225

Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.

Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.

Where to get a well tested for lead in West Virginia: certified labs, state programs and prices.

By county, from individual samples

Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (15 ug/L); counties with at least 30 samples.

CountyAbove EPA limitSamplesDetectedMedianHighest
Kanawha3738%0600 ug/L
Preston3139%017.1 ug/L
Fayette4827%030 ug/L
Jefferson4260%0.113 ug/L
Raleigh6332%010 ug/L
Nicholas3514%01 ug/L

Sources

  • Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. lead counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.